Category: Africa

BAMAKO, Mali (NPA) — The Prime Minister of Mali, General Abdoulaye Maïga, today held a press conference on the April 25, 2026 terrorist attacks, as the country enters the second day of a two‑day national mourning period declared by the President of the Transition. The mourning honours late General Sadio Camara alongside military and civilian victims of the coordinated assaults across several localities.

Maïga paid tribute to the memory of the deceased, saluting both civilian and military victims, and wished the wounded a swift recovery. He said the Malian nation was plunged into grief by simultaneous terrorist attacks, stressing that such “cowardly and barbaric acts” were only possible with external sponsorship, though he did not name the sponsors.

Outlining the terrorists’ objectives, he said:

1. To sow fear and doubt — “we were not afraid, nor did we doubt, and we will never be afraid.”
2. To break national cohesion — “more than ever we are united as one, and cohesion will be strengthened.”
3. To undermine determination — “more than ever, we are determined, and collective commitment will only grow stronger.”

Maïga said the enemy’s ultimate goal was to seize power by dismantling the institutions of the Republic and halting the Transition process, but noted that this had failed, as the country remains on the path of progress.

He praised the armed forces for their response, describing it as an act of self‑sacrifice under the leadership of the President of the Transition, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He said hundreds of terrorists had been neutralized and saluted the gallantry and professionalism of the men and women in uniform.

The Prime Minister stressed that lessons must be drawn from April 25, with success factors strengthened and necessary corrections applied. He also commended the resilience of the Malian population, reaffirming their faith in the army and in the Refoundation of Mali.

Quoting scripture, he said: “Every soul shall taste death, and to God we belong and to Him we return.” He praised General Camara for dying with weapons in hand to defend his homeland, urging that such resolve be strengthened among Malians.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA)— The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the delivery of the 1,028-kilometre Lagos–Abidjan Corridor project, a flagship regional highway aimed at boosting trade and connectivity across West Africa, while flagging key design and funding concerns that must be resolved before full implementation.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave the assurance during a high-level meeting in Abuja with delegations from the ECOWAS Commission and the African Development Bank.

The corridor, spanning five countries — Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria — is designed to link Abidjan to Lagos, forming a major transport backbone along the West African coast.

According to a statement signed by Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works (Media), Umahi said the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully committed to infrastructure development, describing the Lagos–Abidjan highway as a critical component of a broader network of strategic road projects across Nigeria and the region.

He disclosed that Nigeria’s section of the corridor, estimated at about 79.5 kilometres, will be constructed using reinforced concrete technology with three lanes on each carriageway—exceeding the two-lane design proposed by ECOWAS.

However, the minister raised concerns over unresolved technical and structural issues, including what he described as an unequal distribution of corridor length among participating countries and design elements that do not reflect on-ground realities.

“On the engineering side, there are unresolved issues on the Lagos–Abidjan corridor. The distribution of corridor length across countries is unequal and can only be resolved at the level of heads of state,” Umahi said.

He added that Nigeria is developing an alternative design model tailored to local conditions, expected to be completed within two weeks, incorporating existing infrastructure and practical implementation challenges.

Umahi also stressed that decisions on financing frameworks must be agreed upon by heads of state before the project can proceed to procurement.

“Once the design is finalized and approved, the funding model must be agreed at the highest political level. Until then, moving into procurement and financing is premature,” he stated.

Despite the challenges, he reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment, noting that the project would enhance regional trade and integration by linking national infrastructure systems across borders.

Earlier, ECOWAS Director of Transport, Chris Appiah, said the visit formed part of ongoing consultations with member states to harmonize technical designs and address outstanding issues.

On financing, the AfDB delegation, led by Salawou Mike Moukaila, described the corridor as a top priority, revealing that the bank is undertaking an identification mission across 25 countries to develop a financing framework.

Moukaila noted growing interest from co-financiers globally, emphasizing that the bank is positioning itself to lead funding mobilization efforts for the project.

He also underscored Nigeria’s strategic importance to the corridor, citing the country’s role as a major origin point for trade flows along the route.

The AfDB delegation commended the Federal Government’s ongoing infrastructure drive, describing the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor as a “game changer” for regional connectivity across West, Central, and East Africa.